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2023 Presidency: Metuh Writes PDP Committee On Zoning

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A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, has called on the 2023 presidential election zoning committee members of the party to allow all aspirants to contest regardless of their states.
Metuh, who stated this in an open letter to the committee, said nothing should take the PDP back to the “period of arrogance of power especially as we are in opposition”.
According to him, there is a need for the PDP to tread carefully and be sensitive on how to tackle the North where the All Progressives Congress controls 14 states as opposed to only four states by PDP.
“In 2015, we adopted sole candidacy and dampened the morale of members to openly campaign for the PDP,” he hinted.
The letter read part, “History beckons on each and every one of you to make a decision that will not only stabilise our party but also showcase the readiness of our party for the 2023 elections.
The choice before you today is between adhering to the principles of equity, fairness and natural justice or plainly focusing on the task of winning an election as an opposition party. Indeed, they are inseparable and none can be discarded for the other.
“There have been arguments about the fairness of zoning to the south after eight years of the Buhari Presidency. There are also counter-arguments of the North having ruled for only two years and nine months out of 16 years of PDP in power and therefore deserves its own fair share of presidential candidacy after only two attempts(2007 and 2019) as opposed to the four by the south(1999,2003,2011 and 2015).
“Notwithstanding the merits of either side of the divide, most Nigerians hold only one truth as self-evident at this time of our political development: that in good conscience and for equity and fairness, it is really the turn of the South-East to produce the next President of Nigeria.
The South-east zone on its own has thrown up very quality candidates and in reality, no Nigerian can question the proven track record of prudence and accountability of Mr Peter Obi in managing an economy or the leadership qualities in service delivery of Senator Pius Anyim. It is therefore clear that the South East of PDP deserves and is actually ready to deliver our country out of the present doldrums.
“However, oftentimes, what is desirable may not be achievable and therefore there is a need for the PDP to tread carefully and be sensitive on how to tackle the North where the All Progressives Congress (APC) controls 14 states as opposed to only four states by us. In 2015, we adopted sole candidacy and dampened the morale of members to openly campaign for the PDP.
“The real argument, therefore, is that our party is built on the ideals of our founding fathers and that the principles of equity, fairness and natural justice appear non-negotiable at every stage of our development.
“It may therefore appear inequitable, unfair and repugnant to natural justice for a decent and noble party like the PDP, having allowed individuals to campaign for such a long period with the attendant human and material cost, to undemocratically truncate their aspiration with zoning at this late hour.
“Are we still enthroning a moral social order that will result in the spiritual regeneration of the nation or are we engaging in an act capable of breeding discontent, disharmony and disaffection by those unfairly disadvantaged by taking a good policy at a very late hour?
“For the records, the 2019 zoning to the North was done well ahead of the primaries and no member from the South complained of having suffered untold hardship on that account.”

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Kano Tribunal Judgment, Slap On Constitutionalism, Rule Of Law -NNPP

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The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has described the judgment of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuff as a slap in the face of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
In a signed statement made available to newsmen by its acting national chairman, Abba Kawu Ali, the NNPP said its candidate won convincingly in the March 18, 2023, election, which it described as free, credible, and globally acclaimed as a fair election.
He said the pronouncement of the 3-man tribunal is laughable and a pure miscarriage of justice, which is capable of eroding the confidence of the electorate in the judiciary.
He, however, called on the party’s supporters across Nigeria to remain calm as the party will appeal the tribunal’s judgement.
“The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) receives with utter incredulity and disbelief the judgment of the Kano State Election Petition Tribunal on the March 18, 2023, Governorship Election.
“The reported judgement nullified the free, credible, and globally acclaimed fair election of our gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Abba Kabiru Yusuf, and brazenly awarded the election to the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna.
“The Tribunal arrived at this unjust judgment by unfairly subtracting 165,663 votes from the governor’s tally to enable it to unfairly award the result to the candidate of the ruling APC.
“In doing so, the tribunal obviously affirms its belief that the vote tally of the APC candidate was sacrosanct.
“The judgment of the 3-man Kano State Governorship Election Petition is laughable and nothing but a pure miscarriage of justice.
“The decision of the Tribunal is a slap in the face of constitutionalism and the rule of law and is capable of further discouraging the electorate from having confidence in the judiciary.
“The NNPP recalls with regret that this Tribunal has simply replayed the unholy script of 2019 by overturning the will of the people and awarding results to those who evidently lost the election.
“The NNPP will appeal this most unfair judgement.
We call on millions of our supporters in Kano and in the rest of the country to remain calm and maintain peace. A lopsided judgment cannot stand on the altar of justice”, he said.

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Ondo Assembly Moves To Impeach Dep Gov

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Indications emerged on Wednesday, that members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have commenced the process of impeaching the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This is coming following an emergency plenary session summoned by the House of Assembly on Wednesday, with heavy presence of security men at the Assembly gate.
The Tide source gathered that at least 23 lawmakers have already appended their signatures, supporting the impeachment notice against Aiyedatiwa.
A source disclosed that the Deputy Governor is under investigation for alleged gross misuse of office and might be eased out of office through impeachment.
According to the source, trouble started when Aiyedatiwa reportedly approved the sum of N300 million for the purchase of a bulletproof SUV for his personal use.
The source said the approval was allegedly given while the state Governor was recuperating in Germany and it was approved without the knowledge of the governor.
He said the Deputy Governor further complicated matters when he ordered that the N300 million should be sourced from the Palliative fund.
He said “This fund, provided by the Federal government, was intended to support states in addressing the needs of their citizens.”
The source said the impeachment proceedings underscore the Assembly’s commitment to accountability, even at the highest levels of state governance.
Further developments in this case were being awaited as the situation continued to unfold.

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Bauchi Tribunal Upholds Gov Mohammed’s Election

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The Bauchi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Chairman of the three-man panel of the Tribunal, Justice P.T Kwahar, dismissed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakr (rtd), who challenged result of the election.
The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, electoral irregularities as well as bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) machines in some polling units of Toro, Dass, Zaki, Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Dambam and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.The Tribunal held that there was no tangible evidence to show that the BVAS was truly manipulated.The judge explained that the witnesses brought by the petitioner presented evidence based on hearsay as they were not present at the polling units, “they have failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the APC candidate won the election.”
“This court therefore returns the second respondent as the elected governor of Bauchi state by the first respondent in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023,” he held.

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